1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus which can be attached to a hand-held electric hair dryer so that a hair spray or conditioner can be sprayed onto the hair as it is being dried.
2. The Prior Art
It is presently common practice to dry hair using any one of a number of commercially available electric hand-held hair dryers. This is true both in the case of the professional hair stylist practicing his trade and the individual who routinely used a hair dryer to both dry and groom his hair. It is also common practice for both the professional and the individual to use various hair treatments before, during, or after drying the hair. Indeed, it is often desirable to apply a hair treatment simultaneously with drying the hair. It has been found with respect to some hair treatments that it is critical to control the moisture content of the hair while it is being dried. Particularly when setting hair, it is desirable that the hair dry at a uniform rate and that the hair be left with a moisture content which corresponds to that of the ambient air. This is important so that the hair is not over or under dried, either of which can result in the hair being less than ideally set. As a result, it would be desirable to apply moisture or another type of hair treatment to the portion of the hair requiring such a treatment simultaneously with drying the hair.
Until the development of the present invention, it was difficult to apply a hair conditioner in the correct amounts and at the correct time. Where it would often be desirable to spray a hair treatment onto the hair while drying was taking place, it is now common practice to add the hair treatment either before or after the drying so that the drying and styling of the hair can proceed.
During the drying and styling of the hair it is the usual practice for the stylist, whether he be a professional or an individual styling his own hair, to hold a brush or comb in one hand and the hair dryer in the other hand. Thus, the hair can be brushed into place as it is dried. Obviously, however, the individual performing these tasks has no further physical capacity to perform any additional tasks at the same time, such as the addition of a hair treatment.
In the event that it is desired to apply any type of hair treatment during the drying process, it is necessary for the person doing the drying to interrupt his work and go through a multiple step process. Generally, he must free one hand by putting down the brush or the hair dryer. In the event he puts down the hair dryer he will likely also be required to turn off the dryer. He will then be required to search for and locate the hair treatment or spray needed. Once this is located, it can be applied to the hair as desired and then subsequently replaced to where it is stored. At this point, the brush or dryer must again be located and grasped in order for work to resume. This series of steps is a routine, everyday occurrence, particularly in the case of professional hair stylists.
It would be a great convenience to be able to apply a hair treatment as the hair is being brushed and dried. It is particularly desirable to have the ability to apply a hair treatment without being required to interrupt either the brushing or the drying of the hair. As a result, certain comb and dryer devices have been developed which are also capable of spraying a hair treatment or conditioner or producing steam in order to aid in grooming. None of these devices, however, has been able to satisfactorily solve the problems described herein.
Some devices have been constructed which essentially comprises electric hair dryers with built-in mechanisms capable of spraying hair treatments. These devices use as the basic element of their construction hair dryers similar to those commonly in use. These hair dryers, however, have permanently attached or built into some portion of their bodies a separate mechanism capable of spraying a liquid such as hair treatment. Typically, this type of device employs a reservoir constructed as an integral part of the hair dryer, but separate from the blower mechanism, which is capable of being filled with water or some other type of desired hair treatment. In addition, some devices provide a heating mechanism within the reservoir so that a vapor can be produced.
The reservoir is then fit with a pumping mechanism. This pumping mechanism can generally be activated by repeatedly pressing a knob or lever positioned on the exterior of the reservoir. This in turn forces the liquid out of the reservoir and out a sprayer.
Several problems are apparent with this type of device. One major problem relates to the fact that the reservoir and pumping mechanism is an integral, built-in part of the hair dryer. Thus, a hair dryer must be permanently modified adding greatly to the expense of the hair dryer. In addition, if the water or hair conditioner exits the device through a separate sprayer or nozzle, it is difficult to accurately deliver the liquid to the desired location. The user is simultaneous attempting to direct the hot air from the hair dryer and the hair treatment spray from a separate nozzle. A further problem is that the user must generate the motive force to cause the liquid to spray by repeatedly pumping the knob or lever. The container of hair treatment has no internal means of spraying the liquid.
A variation of the device described above incorporates the reservoir into the handle of the hair dryer. A pumping mechanism is also placed within the handle so that a liquid poured into the handle can be sprayed out. The pumping mechanism is operated by pushing on a plunger or lever positioned on the handle of the hair dryer. Operating the pumping mechanism may cause the liquid to spray out of its own nozzle or the liquid may be sprayed into the path of the hot air leaving the hair dryer. Thus, the force of the air leaving the hair dryer may carry the desired spray.
While the problem of requiring two separate streams to be simultaneously aimed is largely solved using this type of device, several other problems remain. This type of device, like the previous devices, is permanently fit with the reservoir and pumping mechanism. The reservoir cannot be transferred to another hair dryer and such a reservoir and pumping mechanism cannot be easily removed from a hair dryer. Thus, the device lacks a desired measure of flexibility in operation and use. In addition the liquid hair treatment is constantly located in the handle of the device. As the hair dryer is moved, the liquid will be free to slosh about within the handle. This is not only an annoyance, but it makes the dryer more difficult to handle because of the ever shifting weight distribution within the dryer. A further problem with this type of device, as with the devices described above is that the hair treatment must be repeatedly added to the hair dryer. This operation is time consuming and includes a high probability that the liquid will be spilled as it is added.
While it can be seen that the problem of how to spray a liquid onto hair as it is being dried has been long recognized, no device has been developed which adequately deals with the problem. It would be desirable, therefore, to construct a device which could be attached to or detached from an otherwise standard hair dryer which would allow a hair treatment to be sprayed onto hair as the hair is dried. It would also be an improvement if such a device could spray its liquid contents in the same stream as the hot air leaving the hair dryer. This would avoid the problems encountered in simultaneously directing both the air stream and the separate hair treatment stream. In addition, it would be an advancement in the art if commercially available aerosol containers, or other similar types of containers with internal pumping mechanisms and internal means for causing its contents to spray out, could be used in the device. This would avoid the necessity of continually pouring liquid hair treatments into the body of the hair dryer and then being required to pump the liquid out by hand. Such a device is disclosed and claimed herein.